St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-18
A Cosby Budget Covering
the Most Interesting Top
les Now in Sight.
A Nicely Mixed Fotpourri Of
English Statesmen's Plans
and Purposes.
Hoping for Peace and Fearing
War Is Central Europe'S
Best Word.
Brief and Bright illusions to
Minor Schemes of Nations
and Men.
Copyright cable to the Globe.

Copyright Gable to the Globe.
LONDON, Dec. 17.-It has been anus
ing to hear the indignant reproaehes
hurled at Howard Vincent S head by the
more cautious members of the Tory
party. Fair trade, they have said, is all
very we'll for general election, but
why on earth trot it out when there are
no votes TO be gained and many Union
ist allies to be frightened Off. and those
who have 50 expressed themselves have
had long to wait for a justification of
their belief. Lord Harrington, John
Bright and finally the Hon. George j.
GOSchen have declared in favor of their
old creed. free trade. Notwithstanding
the declarations of the Liberal L niOnist
leaders that they will not vote a duty on
corn, even 10 save the government, the
fair traders intend introducing such
measure early in the next session of
parliament. and will give the govern
ment a great deal of trouble in bringing
the question promptly to the front.
This threat and the recent develop
mentS OF the agitation are regarded with
grave anxiety by the Conservative lead
erS. Lord Salisbury and some of his
colleagues have done their best to run
with the hare while hunting with the
hounds on this question, but the reac-
tiOnarieS among their following make
no secret of the fact that they have had
ENOUGH OF THIS VACILLATION.
They already have grievance against
the government. arising out of their be-
lief that MI. Smith. the Conservative
leader of The house, during the whole of
f1T fx- fl1ravs- obstacles in
the way of any ventilation of their
theories in parliament. The formal
adoption by the Tory caucus of the pro-
tectiOnist policy is by no means the only
difficulty which threatens the UniOnist
alliance. The adoption of woman Suf-
frage as part of the Conservative plat
form is likely to prove troublesome to
certain of the Liberal niOniStS. Sir
Henry James first made his mark in the
house of commons by an elaborate and
imprisoned attack upon the advocates
of woman suffrage, and ever since that
time has been an active, bitter and per-
Sistent opponent OF the change. MIR.
Bright VIGOROUSLY thinks that the less
women concern themselves with public
affairs the better. even with reference
to social and
MORAL QUESTIONS.
Mr.. Chamberlain is probably the most
thOrOugh-gOing advocate of what Mr.
Mill called the subsection of women"
alike in its political, eCOnOm cal and do
nestle aspects, who has ever filled a
conspicuous place in English public life.
If Mr.. Chamberlain is as frankly loyal
to his old opinions on this question as
Mr.. Bright is to his opinions about pro-
lection. vigorous letter may be eX-
pected from America on the female Suf-
frage question. those who remember
by-gOne debates in the house of COM
mons on woman suffrage and the cOntri-
buttons made to them by Mr.. SmOllet,
formerly member of parliament for
Cambridge. will recognize that it is
subject which affords unequalled scope
for hOmely racineSS of language.
The advanced wing of the Tory party
find the illusions to the forthcoming
government bill unsatisfactory, and
about the promised land purchase bill
there is absolutely no enthusiasm, either
among the old Tories or the new. The
old electioneering hands of the party
make no secret of the belief that land
purchase
WILL BE UNPOPULAR
with the Conservatives in the country
and may put the government in serious
danger. But the exclamation is to be
heard on all hands, 1T is GOSchen's
fad" In the same way Mr.. Goschen is
blamed by the followers of Lord Ran
dOlph Churchill for having emaSculated
the local government bill, and by the
fair traders for making himself STUN
bling block in the way of Lord Sails
bury'S leadership of the PrOtectiOniStS.
All this makes line of cleavage in the
UniOnist camp. Despite all the hard
work Mr.. GOschen has done recently for
the UniOnist cause, he is not popular
with the great bulk of the Conservative
party. and it is safe to predict that for
any miSfOrtuneS which may Overtake
the government, the chancellor of the
exchequer will inevitably be made the
Scapegoat. His high and dry ecOnOm-
zeal theories are proving more intOler-
able to the Conservatives than they
were TO their opponents.
THIS TINE LAST YEAR,
ii IS Instructive to remember, politicians
were in prospect of meeting of parlia-
ment the 18th of January, and there was
a disposition TO negotiate on the part of
the disSentient Liberals which has now
been entirely withdrawn. Then, as
now, Mr.. Gladstone was standing firmly
upon his principle of subordinate par
Lament for the local affairs of Ireland,
and an executive government arising
OtAb vi lAtftl vi dll lllC us
tinguiShed disSentientS Mr.. Bright was
then alone in his attitude of ''laisSeZ
faire." Those who were then appar-
emily DESTROYS of compromise have
fallen back into concurrence with Mr..
Bright, and it may be said now. with
even greater emphasis than twelve
months ago. that Mr.. Gladstone'S policy
still holds the field. Scarcely any one
supposed a year ago that it would at
this time have stood alone with no COM
petition of any sort for solution of the
problem of Irish government, and it is
the absence of any policy but that of
coercion which gives rise to doubts as to
the longevity of this parliament.
CENTRAL EUROPE TOPICS.
Statesmen may as well try to run
away from their shadows as to avoid the
topic of the Central European alliance,
and all that includes, implies and pre-
TuppOSeS. Optimistic politicians are
seeking in vain for the pointed warn
ing contained in the German emperOr'S
recent speech to the presidents of the
reichStag. The war of revenge cannot
be waged-at all events, it is hardly
likely that France will force it whilst
home affairs south of the Rhine are in a
state of confusion. giving no sign of
early adjustment. Then again, say the
critics of this eaSy-minded class, Russia
has no immediate intention of crossing
sne Austrian frontier, and therefore. it
is not probable that the aid of Germany
will be invoked for many months to
come PeSsimiStS. on the other hand.
perceive the possibility of French states
men ruShing-out of sheer desperation
into war. in order TO distract the at
tentiOn of the people from the wretchad
state of affairs at home, and TO give the
republic. which has fallen into such sad
disrepute.a chance of achieving a splen-
did victory for France. If the soldiers
of the republic returned from the field
triumphal, monarchy would have re-
ceiyed its death blow. Once more. the
statesmen at st. Petersburg take no
Mains fo ,.onaaal